1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to containers and more particularly relates to tubular containers and reclosable closure members therefore.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a prior art tubular container of the type improved by the present invention. In FIG. 1, the prior art tubular container is shown in disassembly for convenience in viewing. As shown in FIG. 1, the prior art, tamper-proof, tubular containers 10 comprise a tubular body portion 12 having a first open end 14 and a second open end 18. Partially fitted within the tubular body 12 and held by frictional engagement with the inner walls of body 12, is an inner tubular sleeve 16. At end 14 of tubular body 12, sleeve 16 protrudes to form a neck 20. At end 18 of the body 12, sleeve 16 is withheld from end 18 to expose surface 28 on the inner side of body 12. The end 18 is closed by the mounting of plug 30 therein. Plug 30 comprises a tubular member 34 having one closed end 36 with a retaining flange 38 circumscribing the member 34 at end 36. To facilitate assembly of the plug 30 into end 18 of body 12, the leading edge of member 34 has a bevel 32. Around the periphery of member 34 are raised ribs 35 which ensure a tight frictional fit with surface 28 on the inside of body 12 when plug 30 is mounted therein. The neck 20 of sleeve 16 is initially covered by a removable portion 19 which initially is a formed part of the tubular body 12. The removable portion 19 of tubular body 12 is delineated by a frangible scoreline 22A, 22B and is initially joined together by frangible tabs 24A, 24B shown broken in FIG. 1. Thus, in assembly, removable portion 19 is physically joined at its end 48 to the tubular body 12 through joined frangible tabs 24A, 24B. The opposite end 49 of removable portion 19 is closed by plug 40 which comprises a tubular member 42 having a lead beveled edge 44 and a closed end 46. In fact, plug 40 is structurally identical to the plug 30 previously described and includes raised ribs 43 which serve to make a tight frictional engagement between plug 40 and the inner surface of the removable portion 19.
Referring now to FIG. 2, an isometric view-in-part of the prior art tubular container of FIG. 1, one can see the assembled, removable portion 19 secured to the tubular body 12 by tabs 24, and delineated by a scoreline 22. The plug 40 is in place to secure the upper end of the tubular container 10 and the plug 30 (not shown in FIG. 2) secures the lower end 18. In operation, one opens the container 10 by first grasping the removable portion 19 (including plug 40) with one hand and the tubular body 12 with the other hand. By twisting parts 19, 12 in opposite directions, the frangible tab 24 is broken to separate into broken tabs 24A, 24B as shown in FIG. 1. The operator then pulls the removable portion 19 together with plug 40 in a direct pull along the axis of the arrow "A" shown in FIG. 2, to open and gain access to the contents of the tubular container 10.
Tamper-proof, tubular containers of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 have not been entirely satisfactory for all purposes. First, the requirement for inner sleeve 16 substantially increases the weight of the container package. This is, of course, an economic disadvantage both in labor, cost of manufacture, and shipping costs. In addition, the direct pulling away of the removable portion 19 from tubular body creates a partial vacuum within the tubular container 10. If the contents of the container 10 are flaky or powdery materials, the creation of a vacuum and turbulence within the container 10 by the direct outward pull may cause the container contents to partially fly out of the container 10 upon its opening. In addition, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that replacement of the removable portion 19 with its included mounted plug 40, over the neck 20 of sleeve 16 is not a tight fitting replacement. Of necessity, due to its construction, the inner surface of the removable portion 19 is in a bare sliding fit with the neck 20. Thus, if the container 10 falls over on its side, there is potential for the removable portion 19 together with plug 40 by its weight alone to separate from the tubular body 12 and allow the contents of the tubular container 10 to spill out. This, of course, is an undesirable feature of the prior art tubular container 10.
The improved, tamper-proof, tubular container of the present invention obviates a number of the disadvantages found in the prior art containers of the tubular type. For example, the container of the invention is of a lighter construction with a more secure closure. These advantages will be discussed hereinafter more fully with other advantages.